


Stained Blossom

by Spunky0ne



Category: Bleach
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-03-02
Updated: 2013-05-10
Packaged: 2017-12-04 02:09:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/705301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spunky0ne/pseuds/Spunky0ne
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After a forbidden encounter with Aizen Sousuke leaves eighteen-year-old Byakuya spirit-locked to the fifth division taichou, a second joining impregnates the noble. Misunderstanding leads to disaster, and Aizen reaches out to the Kuchiki clan leader. But is their connection a matter of fate, or the manipulation of the soul king?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Obsession

Chapter 1: Obsession

(This is the unedited original version!)

XXXXXXXXXX

_I watched from a distance, waiting for the right moment to curl my arms around you. An image of white fascination, of silk and fine scent, I could not resist you. So I laid the baited trap and lured you…reached out and captured you…buried myself inside you. But in the exchange, I too, was enslaved. Now we both shall pay the price for that foolish desire, that mistake of passion, that time we cannot forget…_

XXXXXXXXXX

He followed quietly, his heart quickening as they moved out of the entry and through the cool hallway, out onto the wooden walkway and into the sweet smelling gardens of Kuchiki Manor. The housekeeper led him to the patio table, where Kuchiki Ginrei waited, sitting at the table and having tea with his grandson. His eye touched Byakuya briefly, in a flash, noting the freshness of youth, the soft, pale skin, wide gray eyes and calm, quiet expression. He smiled, still sensing the presence of the spirited child beneath that seemingly tamed exterior.

“Greetings, Aizen taichou,” said Ginrei, looking up at him, “I was just telling Byakuya about your award ceremony.”

“Congratulations, Aizen taichou,” added Byakuya.

“Arigato,” Aizen said, sitting down at the table.

The server poured him a cup of tea.

“I understand that you just experienced a ceremony of your own, Byakuya,” Aizen said to the youth, “I think every noble in existence attended your passage ceremony.”

“Well,” said Ginrei, his lips curving upward, “it isn’t every day that a future clan leader reaches his eighteenth year. We are very proud of Byakuya.”

He sipped at his tea.

“I believe you said that you had a request to make,” Ginrei prompted him.

“Ah, yes,” said Aizen, his eye falling on Byakuya, “I am overseeing a short mission to the living world which will require me to pose as a wealthy businessman. I have a need for an attendant, fukutaichou level to undertake this mission with me, but my own fukutaichou is overwhelmed with other responsibilities. In addition, the mission requires the attendant to be multi-lingual and to have a talent in calligraphy. Ukitake taichou informs me that your Byakuya is capable in both of these areas. Moreover, he looks the part…young, fine features, high intelligence. I was wondering if you might allow me to borrow him for a few weeks.”

He almost smiled at the instant reaction in Byakuya’s eyes…innocent, of course. He was, after all, young and inexperienced…powerful though he was. And Ginrei had kept the youth carefully near to him. But with his eighteenth birthday passed, he was certain that the elder noble would be likely to consider it appropriate for his grandson to partake of longer and more dangerous missions that would call for him to be more on his own. He was, in fact, counting on this.

“Byakuya?” said Ginrei.

The youth nodded calmly.

“I am willing,” he said quietly.

Ginrei bent his head, studying his tea.

“Things are quiet at the sixth division. I believe that it would not be a burden to allow him to accompany you. When do you leave for this mission?”

“I’m afraid we must leave immediately. Fortunately, he needn’t bring anything. Everything has been prepared for our trip. I would, of course, have given more warning, had I been able, but…”

“Not to worry,” Ginrei assured him, “Byakuya is quite capable of the necessary flexibility required on short notice missions.”

“I am glad to hear that,” said Aizen, “and I am grateful for the assistance. I do not wish to be rude, but we will need to go. Our transfer team is already in place and just waiting for us.”

He stood and Byakuya stood and moved to his side. Aizen felt a twinge in his loins as the youth moved closer. He took a calming breath.

“Again, arigato. I will have your grandson back as soon as this mission is successfully completed.”

They took their leave of the noble and flash stepped away from Kuchiki Manor. Byakuya followed in silence as the elder shinigami led him to the senkaimon. They passed over into the living world and slipped into the gigais their attendants provided them with. Then, they climbed into a limousine and sped away. Aizen watched Byakuya out of the corner of his eye, sensing now, the touch of uncertainty in the youth’s reiatsu. He smiled bracingly.

“He hardly lets you out of his sight, right?” he queried softly.

Byakuya gazed at him for a moment, then nodded.

“It is customary, considering he is grooming me for clan leadership,” he replied.

“But,” Aizen said, glancing out the window, “all young people yearn for a bit of excitement, a bit of freedom, ne?”

Byakuya looked down at his hands.

“Of course,” he admitted, “but being made clan leader is a great responsibility…a great weight. And it requires the sacrifice of such things, for the good of the clan.”

“Hmmm…” said Aizen thoughtfully, as the limousine pulled up to their hotel.

The valet opened the car door and they stepped out onto the entry carpet, and followed it into the richly luxuriant lobby. Aizen kept the young noble at his side as he checked in and they received their keys. They took the elevator to the top floor and turned toward their penthouse suite.

“I booked us into a single suite, because you are acting as my personal assistant. I am a businessman who requires your assistance at all hours, so I will need you to remain close by.”

He opened the door and motioned for Byakuya to enter. The noble stepped forward and Aizen followed him into the room. As they passed the sword stand near the door, Aizen picked up his zanpakutou.

“That is Kyoka Suigetsu?” queried Byakuya.

Aizen’s lips curled into a smile.

“Yes,” he said softly.

He drew the blade and let the young noble admire it for a moment. Then, he raised it, looking as though he planned to return it to the sheath, but instead held it point down and released his shikai.  
Byakuya froze.

His smile widening, he quickly gathered the spellbound youth into his arms and carried him into the bedroom. He set him down on the bed and loosened and opened his clothing, laying bare the sweet, white flesh he had been craving for several years. He hadn’t dared to touch the youth before, so careful was the watch around him, but having reached his eighteenth year, the controls and protections were loosened and Aizen’s power gave him the ability to claim the noble…and soon Byakuya would be his. He leaned over the youth, touching his face and calling his name as he released the hypnosis.

Byakuya looked up at him, blinking and suddenly realizing where he was and how he had been partially undressed. A flush came over his face and he started to sit up. Aizen gently pushed him back down.

“Don’t try to get up,” he instructed the youth, “You lost consciousness and I loosened your clothing to allow you to breathe more freely.”

“B-but…” Byakuya began.

“Hush, now,” Aizen went on, “You should rest.”

The noble’s dark eyes looked uncertain, but still trusting. Aizen looked down at him kindly and touched his face again. Byakuya looked back at him uncertainly.

“A-aizen taichou?”

The brown eyes gazed down into his and Byakuya felt his heart quicken.

“You admitted to me that you long for freedom, Byakuya,” Aizen said softly, “I was thinking that while we are here, we might take a bit of that freedom…and enjoy it together.”

“How do you mean?” the youth said, his voice filling with hesitance.

“You are about to achieve a position of great power, but in many ways, you are still naïve.”

He leaned closer, bringing his lips to the reclined noble’s ear.

“You are proven on the battlefield, intelligent and well educated, but your body,” he said, letting his fingers slide down the long, soft throat, “your body is still untouched. You are still innocent, Byakuya…and that could become a liability.”

“H-how so?” Byakuya said, trying unsuccessfully to sound unaffected.

Aizen smiled.

“Your body wants to be touched, loved, claimed…and your heart will undoubtedly follow it. You want to put your heart in a safe place, with someone you trust, so that it will not be stolen and used against you.”

He turned his head and brought his lips to the noble’s, capturing them and caressing them gently with his. Byakuya stiffened at the intimate contact, his breath catching. He tried to pull away, but the elder shinigami settled his weight on top of the youth, holding him down and increasing the pressure against his lips.

“Aizen t-taichou! P-please…st…” Byakuya stammered.

He gave a surprised gasp as his awakening arousal was touched by another that was already hard and leaking. Aizen nibbled gently at his throat and ear.

“You feel it, don’t you?” he asked softly, “Your body wants mine…and mine wants yours. It’s all right for it to be that way. It’s quite natural. We are both beings of great power. It is only right that we should find each other and share our passions.”

“But the clan rules say that…”

Aizen leaned forward and made his words disappear into a flurry of warm, wet kisses. He thrust his tongue deeply into the noble’s mouth, stroking the length of his tongue, teasing it with his warmth until the body beneath his released a soft sigh and relaxed, and the other tongue curled itself lightly around his.

“We won’t worry about the rules of your clan for now,” he said softly, “Let this be your one indulgence, the one thing they can’t take from you. They will rule enough of your existence, young Byakuya, don’t let them take this from you too.”

He saw the note of sadness in the dark gray eyes and knew he had won the youth over. He sank down into the depths of that sweet, perfect mouth and probed it with a blazing, hungry tongue. At the same time, his hands moved over the tender, white flesh, exploring it with deep, sensuous touches that made Byakuya’s eyes close and his body push upward into the hands that caressed it. He moaned so deliciously into the elder shinigami’s mouth that Aizen thought he might climax from the sound alone.

But he wanted more…and he was determined to have it…

He pulled the youth up onto his knees and sat facing him. Byakuya gazed at him with hazed, starving eyes and Aizen’s cock twitched and leaked more furiously. The youth glanced down and blushed. Aizen smiled warmly at him.

“You see how much my body wants yours, ne?” he said softly, “Come closer, then, Byakuya. I want you to put your mouth on me. I want you to taste me.”

He moved so that he leaned back against the pillows, watching intently as Byakuya moved closer and lowered himself slowly down in between the elder shinigami’s parted thighs. He hesitated for a moment and Aizen felt a shiver pass through the young man’s body. He smiled encouragingly and reached out to stroke the noble’s hair gently.

“It is a bit frightening at first, I know,” he said, reading the youth’s thoughts from his expression, “but it is a sign of trust that I allow you to do this…to entrust this part of myself to you, and that you will allow it as well, when you have pleased me. Go ahead, Byakuya…taste it. It is not unpleasant, I promise you.”

There was another short hesitation, and he felt Byakuya’s breath touch his skin. Then the youth’s head lowered and Aizen watched, entranced, as that pristine, untried mouth opened and wrapped around him. More fluid leaked out into the noble’s mouth and he sucked and swallowed instinctively, choking slightly and releasing Aizen’s cock, then coughing and gasping. Aizen continued stroking his hair and slowly coaxed him back into position between his thighs, then wrapped his hand around his cock and guided it back to the younger man's mouth. He took in Aizen’s length more slowly, stroking it with his tongue as he began to move up and down. Aizen groaned and panted, forcing himself to hold back, so he could watch the lovely sight of Byakuya moving up and down his length, the dark eyes closing as he sucked gently at first, then harder as Aizen shivered and began to thrust carefully into his mouth as it came down.

“Does it taste good?” he hissed, raising his hips.

“Hmmmm…” moaned the youth, sinking down and sucking hard.

Aizen quivered. He wouldn’t last much longer, gazing down at that beautiful face and fucking that hot, wet mouth. He thrust in deeply and held the noble’s head in place, moaning loudly as he emptied himself into Byakuya’s waiting mouth. Aizen’s lips quirked as he felt Byakuya try to pull away, as he choked again on the warm thick fluid that filled his throat and mouth.

“Swallow,” Aizen instructed him patiently, releasing him.

Byakuya sat up, still choking and gasping…and avoiding the elder shinigami’s eyes. Aizen leaned forward and licked away the bits that had leaked from his mouth, then pushed him down onto his back.

“I apologize, Byakuya,” he said smoothly, “I tried to be gentle, but I am quite taken with you. You are a beautiful young man. I was careless and didn’t make allowances for your inexperience.”

The noble was still avoiding his eyes. He placed his hands on the noble’s face and turned his head. Byakuya shivered, but met his eyes, the flush on his cheeks deepening.

“Don’t be embarrassed,” he said, lowering himself and pushing the youth’s creamy thighs apart, “You will get used to that. You have made me quite content…and I would like to return the favor. May I?”

Byakuya caught his breath and stared for a long moment, then he cleared his throat softly.

“As you wish, Aizen taichou,” he said in a voice that was just above a whisper.

Aizen lowered himself between the soft thighs, pushing them farther apart. His tongue found the soft skin of the noble’s sac and teased it, coaxing a soft, longing moan from Byakuya, then he wrapped his mouth around each side in turn, sucking warmly and listening to Byakuya pant lightly and release his name in a happy sigh.

“Aizen…t-taichou…”

Aizen smiled and ran his tongue up the long shaft, then wrapped his mouth around the blushing head and sank down, sucking and moaning around the noble’s cock, watching hungrily as the youthful body arched and Byakuya moaned his name again, more loudly.

“Aizen…taichou!”

He slipped three fingers into Byakuya’s mouth, continuing to suck deeply at his length as the noble gently soaked the fingers in saliva, then released them. Byakuya groaned in protest as Aizen’s mouth released his cock, but was immediately placated as the elder shinigami kissed his way down the thick, wet length, then pleasured his sac again before pushing his legs wider and kissing his way down to the tight, pink entrance. He teased it with his tongue and Byakuya’s body arched again, and he heard the noble gasp. He held on tightly to the writhing hips and probed the area with his tongue, before pulling away and sinking back down on Byakuya’s inflamed arousal.

He pushed a finger inside and felt Byakuya tighten around it. He sucked harder at the cock in his mouth and gently pushed in deeper, waiting as Byakuya adjusted and began to move his hips. He slid the finger in and out, feeling his own cock start to harden again at the sight of the young shinigami moaning and writhing fitfully at his touches.

He felt a twinge of doubt as he added a second finger. He hadn’t meant for their coupling to generate anything lasting. Byakuya was noble class, and would be a clan leader. Any association between them, would be, of necessity, discreet and would end before he was pushed into marriage by the clan. Yet even knowing he shouldn’t form an attachment, he couldn’t help but love the shift from that calm exterior to the wild, hot youth who responded so eagerly to his affections. He sighed, thinking how Byakuya seemed a lonely youth, separated from his peers, even those noble, because of his place in the clan. He blinked, unable to tear his eyes away as he added the third finger, thrust in deeply and hooked them slightly, making the noble cry out in pleasure, emotion erupting across the usually quiet features and turning him from just beautiful to something both lovely and exotic.

He knew that if he made love with Byakuya, looking into that uncontrolled expression, he wouldn’t be able to let go when the time came…

So he removed his fingers from the noble’s body and turned him onto his stomach, smoothing the long, black hair onto the white skin of his back, pausing to admire the contrast, then positioning himself behind the noble and pushing slowly inside him. Byakuya sucked in a sharp, pained breath and was soothed by Aizen’s fingers in his hair and the soft voice that whispered in his ear. There was a pause as the youth’s body calmed, then Aizen began to move in and out of him in a slow, gentle motion. Byakuya made a soft, contented noise and raised his hips, moving with the body above his as it thrust in gradually harder and faster and deeper. Aizen slipped his hand down between the youth’s thighs and took hold of his throbbing member, stroking it in time with their movements as they became more heated and intense. He laid his body along the length of Byakuya’s back, and was surprised as a soft sobbing sound issued from the youth. His thoughts were taken away suddenly as Byakuya began to climax and the tightening around his cock sent him careening over the edge as well. He thrust in hard and released deep inside that sweet, perfect body, then pressed his face to the noble’s cheek, lacing together the fingers of one hand and letting his weight settle onto Byakuya’s back.

Byakuya rested calmly beneath him, his breathing calm and even. Aizen waited until he was certain that the youth had fallen asleep, then pulled away and left him there. He closed the door to the noble’s room and went into his own room within the suite to shower. As the hot water ran down his body, he couldn’t stop thinking of how beautiful Byakuya was, how soft…how he sounded when he moaned…how his body quivered as he climaxed. But he kept being nagged by the memory of that sobbing sound…that lonely sound that had come from him just before pleasure had overtaken them. He wasn’t sure what it meant.

He sighed and told himself that it didn’t matter. They would have this time together and then it would end. And Byakuya would go on to become clan leader and probably a taichou as well. He would have no room in his life for Aizen Sosusuke. So Aizen didn’t let himself expect it. He would take what was his and accept the loss later on. It was the way of things.

He turned off the water and stepped out into the bathroom, dried off and slipped into a brown, silk yukata. He left the bathroom and went to the kitchen to make tea. He carried the tea back to Byakuya’s room, pausing outside at the chilling sound of Ginrei’s voice.

“You know this cannot be tolerated,” he said coldly, “You came here as an agent of the Gotei 13 and in full knowledge of your responsibilities. There is no excuse for doing something like this.”

“I understand, Grandfather,” Byakuya answered, a tremor in the soft reply, “I offer no excuses for my behavior.”

“Did he force you?”

“No.”

“You did this willingly?”

“Yes.”

“And you have no remorse for your actions?”

There was a long silence.

“Byakuya?”

“No…I am not sorry.”

He heard the sound of a hand striking flesh and the tea dropped to the floor. He opened the door and stood, staring at Ginrei standing beside the bed, his eyes blazing, and Byakuya kneeling on the bed in front of him, naked and holding a hand to his face.

“This is my fault,” he told the furious noble, bracing himself in case Ginrei might decide to attack, but the sixth division taichou just glared at him hatefully.

He turned and threw a yukata to Byakuya.

“Dress,” he said gruffly.

He turned back to Aizen.

“If you ever dare to lay a hand on my grandson again, I will kill you with my bare hands. You have no right. You are a peasant…and you have stained his reputation.”

“No one has to know,” Aizen said softly, “I won’t say anything.”

Ginrei flash stepped towards him and wrapped an angry hand around his throat. Aizen held still, staring into the furious, dark eyes.

“I know of this dishonor,” he growled, “and that is what matters. Stay away from Byakuya…and stay away from me. Do not dare to look me in the eyes again.”

He took Byakuya by the hand and led him to the window.

“Wait,” Aizen said, quietly, “At least allow me to apologize.”

Ginrei bristled, but held still and nodded curtly.

“Byakuya,” he said, stepping forward, “I am sorry. I was wrong to tempt you into this, but…”

“Save your apology,” the youth said, looking away, “I knew what you wanted. I knew you didn’t do this for love. You wanted me and I gave you what you wanted…and that is the end of it.”

“If you thought it was like that, then why?” Aizen asked, “Why did you allow it?”

The dark, wounded eyes found his and froze him in place.

“Everyone has to have hope,” Byakuya whispered in a broken voice, “even when it doesn’t exist.”

“And what did you hope for?”

“Enough,” said Ginrei, stepping between them, “Come, Byakuya. You must undergo a cleansing ritual. Your mind and body must be purified of this horrid sin.”

Without a backward glance, the young noble followed his grandfather out the window and back towards the senkaimon. Aizen Sousuke stood at the window, looking for some time in the direction they had gone, before calmly closing the window and leaving the now-empty room.


	2. The Purification

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Byakuya endures a painful purification ritual as Ginrei warns a piqued Aizen to stay away from the Kuchiki heir.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Do what you will. I long to make amends for my transgressions. I understand now that I have fallen, and I seek your forgiveness and a way to set things right. Careful lines were drawn around me long ago, and I did agree to remain within them. I stepped outside, but for a moment, and it will haunt me forever…_

XXXXXXXXXX

"Byakuya…my grandson, my pride, tell me what possessed you to do something like this," Ginrei said in a low voice that hung between sorrow and anger, "Haven't I cared for you since your parents died? Provided everything you needed to grow strong? Haven't I taught you well enough the expectations of one such as yourself? And still…the moment you leave my side, the moment my back is turned…"

"Gomen nasai, Grandfather…please, forgive me," Byakuya said, finally breaking the silence he had held all of the way back to Kuchiki Manor.

Ginrei turned and observed him with a cold eye.

"Now, you show remorse. Why not before?" he asked quietly.

"I never meant to hurt you. It is just that…that…"

He paused, shocked at the feel of tears burning in his eyes.

"I thought that…he said that…it was a kind of freedom. I know it was wrong, but I wanted, just for a moment, to be free of all of this…to do something not laid out ahead of me…to be someone else."

He stood, pale faced and shaking, dressed only in the thin yukata, his eyes widening as his grandfather stepped closer and took hold of the front of his clothes, tightening his fingers until the light fabric tore.

"Why would you ever want to be like the rest of them? Everything is set before you, Byakuya…power, privilege, a great name. Would you rather be like the ones from the Rukongai? Nameless? Looked down on? Having to struggle twice as hard for half the recognition? You have been blessed, but you will not see it. It's right in front of you, but you are blind."

"I can see that I've hurt you…and I am sorry," he said, forcing down the ache inside, "I swear to you…I won't disappoint you like that again. I'll…I'll do whatever you say, Grandfather, whatever I can to make things right between us again!"

Ginrei's brow furrowed deeply.

"Do you hear yourself?" he asked sternly, "You do not consider how you have shamed our house…or how your disobedience has darkened your pure soul, Byakuya. You only make an emotional plea…and you barely manage to conceal the emotion that this wicked act has spawned."

"My apologies," Byakuya said, dropping onto his knees and bowing at his grandfather's feet, "I am sorry for dishonoring our family…and you may punish me as you see fit. I will accept it with a penitent heart."

"You must first be purified of this filthy sin, Byakuya," Ginrei said looking down at the youth's bowed head, "Only then can we see to your punishment."

He thought for a moment.

"We will handle this privately," he said finally, "I shall deal with you myself. You must never reveal to another living soul what happened in that room. It is to be forgotten…and certainly never repeated. And you are never to speak to Aizen Sousuke again."

"As you wish, Grandfather," Byakuya said, holding his body still and bowing at his grandfather's feet.

Ginrei took his hand and brought the youth to his feet, then led him out of the manor and through the gardens. They passed out of the back gate and walked slowly down a moonlit forest trail. They followed the trail far past the blue waterfall, down the cliff and across the meadow. They entered a darker section of forest and followed the winding trail up another set of cliffs to an isolated building that Byakuya had never seen.

"Grandfather," he whispered as they passed through the large double doors, "what is this place?"

He couldn't help but shiver as he looked around and noticed the emptiness of the place, the lack of guards…or other shinigamis, for that matter. It was dark and cold and frighteningly quiet. Ginrei lit a torch and handed it to him.

"Follow me," he said in an icily calm voice.

As they passed into the building, Ginrei's voice rose up softly, echoing strangely.

"This is Itamigiri, the place of honorable pain…where we, of the house Kuchiki, punish our own. Its name is never spoken aloud outside these walls. Let its existence ease your mind in that you are not the first of our blood to sin in such a way…and that there is a way to purify your fallen soul. Come…"

They climbed a long stone stairway, up to the very highest point in the building and passed into a large room at the top of a tower. A chill went through Byakuya at the room's contents…an icy looking pool of water bathed in moonlight, a low table with restraints, a heavy whip and a copy of the family's guidelines for behavior and punishments. Byakuya steeled himself against the fear and followed his grandfather to the blue pool.

"This is the purification pool," Ginrei said in an eerily distant voice, "It will cleanse body, mind and heart of your sin. But be wary. If you enter this pool and do not repent of your sin, then you will die beneath the surface…so do you still wish to enter?"

Byakuya bowed his head.

"Yes, Grandfather, I wish to enter the pool."

Ginrei nodded and removed the yukata he wore, then they bared their feet and stepped into the water together. As Byakuya had expected, the water was freezing, and it numbed his feet almost instantly. Ginrei stood in front of him, reading a prayer of penitence from the family guide, then he placed a hand on Byakuya's forehead and sent a bolt of reiatsu through him. Byakuya's eyes flared and he cried out as he fell backward and sank beneath the surface. Icy water flooded his body, filling him and freezing him in place, with the moonlight washing over the once again placid surface.

He felt Ginrei's eyes on him, but couldn't open his own eyes, nor see beneath his eyelids. His mind disappeared into the chilling depths. He heard awful pealing screams, screams his chest ached to release, but no longer could. He felt chilled through and numb to the core. He hadn't the strength to feel fear or much else. He laid still and felt the moon's cold light fire itself through him from end to end.

Voices slowly began to break through and reach him again. And he knew upon hearing them that they were the voices of his forebears, of Kuchiki clan leaders dead and gone. They gathered around his frozen, silent form and placed their hands on him. He didn't have to feel their touch for it to make him shiver.

"Why have you done this? Why have you dishonored us?" they asked him in accusing voices.

He tried to open his mouth to answer, but could make no sound.

"Why do you turn away from who you are?"

He felt hot tears on his face and could not move to stop them.

"Look into our disappointed eyes and let us enlighten you…rededicate you, mind, body and soul…prepare you for your future."

He felt their hands touch him, their fingers icy with death, their eyes boring down into him, and their power driving in chilling bursts through his blood. He closed his eyes against the brightness and his mouth opened in terrified screams.

He heard sounds of surprise and dismay and opened his eyes. The water had gone black around him and he could no longer see. Whatever had been holding him released him and he burst out of the pool, coughing and choking. He crawled out and collapsed on the floor at Ginrei's feet, exhausted and shaking. He waited for his grandfather to say something, anything, but the clan leader was silent. Byakuya forced his trembling body to move and his eyes to open. What he saw sent fresh ice through his veins.

Ginrei stood over him with his zanpakutou drawn and held ready to strike. He stared at Byakuya wide-eyed, as if horrified by the sight of him.

"What is it?" Byakuya gasped, panting with the effort of speaking, "What have I done wrong?"

Ginrei remained frozen, his zanpakutou poised over his grandson, his expression one of agonized bitterness.

"Grandfather?" Byakuya whispered, "Grandfather…please…say something. Why are you…doing this?"

Ginrei's eyes lowered to lock on his. Slowly, he returned his weapon to its sheath.

"You triggered a seirei-joumae…a spirit lock."

Byakuya stared at him blankly.

"A what?"

"A spirit lock," Ginrei hissed softly, his reiatsu bristling, "Your spirit cannot be purified, because it has become linked to another soul. When you were with him, your heart opened…and the connection was formed."

"I didn't…"

"It isn't something one wills into being," his grandfather explained, "It is something created at the spirit level. We do not know why they form. What we do know is that it forms of its own accord when open hearts are joined…"

"But," Byakuya whispered in horror, "he never opened his heart to me. He wanted me for physical reasons, reasons of the flesh, for his pleasure, but not for love…Grandfather…it has to be a mistake!"

"The spirit lock is not a mistake, Byakuya. I do not know what made you dare to open your heart to him, nor how one such as him opened his heart to you, even for a moment, but the spirit lock has formed…and there are only two possibilities from this point. If you are allowed to join…heart, body and mind again…then you will conceive your heir. If not…then you will remain childless…and a new heir must be chosen by our council upon your death."

"How can this be true?" Byakuya said, his voice breaking, "I swear I never chose to do this! Grandfather…I…"

Ginrei turned away and started towards the door.

"Don't leave me here!" Byakuya called, surging to his feet and wrapping the yukata around his dripping form, "Grandfather!"

The clan leader flash stepped away.

"Grandfather!" cried Byakuya, running back down the stone stairway, "Grandfather!"

He flash stepped out into the darkness, his body raked with chills and his heart frozen with fear. He ran back down the dark forest trail and flash stepped across the misted meadow. He started up the cliff face, beside the waterfall, grasping wildly and only wanting to move faster. He had nearly reached the top, when a rock he grabbed onto broke free of the cliff. He tried to recover himself, then to flash step, but he missed the landing and started to fall. His mind registered the full moon in the night sky, then pain exploded all around him and he sank into blackness.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Byakuya?"

The voice seemed far away and only half familiar.

"Byakuya…" it called again.

The voice sounded worried…sad…

"Byakuya, please wake…"

He moaned softly and opened his eyes. He squinted at the brightness of the white-walled room, recognizing it as the fourth division. He recognized also the worried face that leaned over him, calling his name again.

"G-grandfather?" he whispered, "Why am I here?"

Ginrei gazed down at him sadly.

"You had a terrible fall. You have been unconscious for several days. Do you remember?"

Byakuya put a hand to his head and groaned.

"No," he said softly, "The last thing I remember is being at the reception after my passage ceremony…I don't even remember going home."

Ginrei gazed at him oddly for a moment then nodded.

"You were walking near the waterfall and fell somehow. You landed in the water and nearly drowned. Then, while you lay here in the healing center, you contracted a high fever. But not to worry…all will be well, now. All will be well."

His grandfather's hand squeezed his affectionately.

"I am glad you have awakened. I worried that we had lost you. It is good you have returned."

"Arigato, Grandfather," Byakuya said, closing his eyes again.

Kuchiki Ginrei sat quietly at his grandson's bedside, considering how fate had assisted him. It had, he thought, been extremely fortunate that Byakuya had not died in the fall. And it had been fortunate that he was nearby and heard the youth cry out as he fell. But the greatest stroke of luck was his failure to remember. It had been easy enough to use the kido spell to block out the offending portion. And no one would suspect, because the loss of recent memory was perfectly consistent with his injury. Now, all that needed to be done was to warn off Aizen Sousuke…

He made certain that Byakuya was sleeping, then left his bedside and walked to the fifth division.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Come in," said Aizen, looking up as Kuchiki Ginrei entered the room.

The noble glared at him sternly.

"I take it this is about Byakuya," Aizen said quietly, "I heard he was awake and seems to be recovering well from his injury."

"He is," said Ginrei shortly, "And I come to warn you anew that you are not to come near him again."

"Actually," said Aizen, "I was listening the first time you threatened me. Is there some reason that you feel the need to threaten me again?"

Ginrei gazed at him for a moment, then continued.

"I was concerned that a snake such as yourself would try to use Byakuya's injury as a way to get to him again, but let me assure you that even if you were to try, he has no interest in you. He understands that you sought him out because he was beautiful, young and desirable. He has been cautioned about falling for such things again and has accepted proper criticism and punishment for his actions. He will no longer have anything to do with you."

"I see," said Aizen, "and I assure you that I have no further interest in Byakuya either. I realize now just what a mistake it was to allow my passions to get the best of me. But as you said, he is desirable…and I was not immune to that. In any case, I believe we have come to agreement. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to prepare for the taichous meeting."

He looked down at his paperwork, but looked up again as Kuchiki Ginrei flash stepped away.

"Ridiculous nobles," he muttered, his reiatsu flaring.

He leaned over his paperwork, trying to focus, but Byakuya's face kept reappearing in his mind. He couldn't forget the feel of that young, powerful body moving with his…the pleasant scent of sakura and the lovely look of abandon as he was taken. But his eyes tightened and he flinched softly as he remembered that odd sobbing sound. He heard it again in his mind and remembered how, on the way to the hotel, it had registered that Byakuya seemed a lonely youth. But…if Kuchiki Ginrei's words were true, then Byakuya wanted that solitude…wanted to hold himself apart…above others.

Anger rose up inside him at the thought…

"Damned nobles," he breathed.

_But I will make my move against the noble families…the Gotei 13…and the unjust system that supports such nonsense…and when I do, I will make the house Kuchiki pay for insulting me…_


	3. Promotion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> At a promotion celebration, Aizen approaches Byakuya again.

XXXXXXXXXX

_Some things are more important than memory…the way it feels to look into your eyes, the feel of your breath on my skin, the hope that floods my heart when we are one. But you will not look into my eyes. I am the one you fear. And you only fear me, because what is between us is a truth we cannot escape._

XXXXXXXXXX

Ginrei led Byakuya past the still-celebrating guests and into the small training room that had been his until this moment. He looked back at his fully grown grandson and smiled at the lovely sight of him, his hair delicately placed in the confines of the kenseiken, the ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu that had been his gift wound just so around the pale, seemly throat and the new haori draped over his shoulders. His dark, gray eyes were focused and serious as he lowered himself to his knees and bowed his head.

"Grandfather…" he said, quietly.

Ginrei knew that Byakuya was not looking forward to this farewell. As ready as he was for leadership, there were still rough edges to the young man that would have to be worn away with time and experience. And leading both Squad Six and the Kuchiki Clan would accomplish that soon enough.

"Byakuya…your promotion ceremony today brought our family great pride. You are the image of what a young, noble lord should be. You have grown out of your disobedience and have settled into the responsibilities your father would have taken on, had he survived. You take these things on at quite a youthful age and we must say our goodbyes now, though I know you do not feel ready. But a position in the Royal Guard awaits me and I look forward to serving our king."

"You make our family proud as well, Grandfather. As much as I shall miss you, I will know you continue to honor king and family with your service. I am content."

"Good," said Ginrei, yielding him a rare smile, "Then I shall take my leave of you with a calm and peaceful heart."

Their eyes met warmly for a moment and Byakuya smiled and nodded.

"I must, however leave you with a final warning. Maintain vigilance always. There will be disturbers of the peace, the ones who break the rules and cause dissent. They would seek to ensnare other powerful ones like yourself to drag along with them. Remember that, as a noble clan, we serve our king within his laws and dictates…and we guide ourselves in our piety through the rules and mores of our clan. Follow the rules and laws closely and you will not lose your way."

"Hai, Grandfather."

"And one more thing," Ginrei went on, his expression darkening, "be wary of Aizen Sousuke."

"The fifth division taichou?"

"Hai. He appears quiet and peaceful on the outside, but I have long sensed something beneath it that does not sit well with me. You cannot avoid interaction, now that you lead the sixth division, but you can certainly confine your interactions to those necessary for your military association."

"But you invited him here tonight."

"I invited all of the taichous. It would have been a direct insult to have left him out. Simply put, by our standards, I was compelled to include him, rather than to insult him publicly. And I will caution you as well to avoid interaction with him, but to also avoid direct insult. He is much like a curled snake, Byakuya. Best to leave him alone and work your way around him carefully."

Byakuya nodded.

"I hear the wisdom in your message and I will see that it is done as you wish," he answered calmly.

"Then it is time for me to go, Byakuya. Farewell…and keep to your promises. I look forward to the day when you shall join me in the spirit dimension and we shall fight side-by-side once more."

"Goodbye, Grandfather," Byakuya breathed as the old man disappeared through the shining doorway.

He watched as the light faded, then rose and studied the place where the door had been. He thought that, perhaps, he should return to the party, but suddenly didn't feel inclined for company. He turned instead, and walked slowly through the gardens, then out the open gate and along the moonlit forest path. It was a way he had gone many times before, grown old, familiar and trusted. He paid his footsteps little mind as he headed for the sakura trees above the waterfall.

He reached them several long minutes later and stood quietly beneath the widespread branches, his eyes fixed on the large, blue tinted moon that filled the sky overhead. He sank into its peaceful light, making himself content with the newfound silence around him, telling himself that he would grow used to the space in his heart where Ginrei used to be…would gradually fill the silence with other voices…perhaps, the girl's voice would console him in his loneliness.

But then…he hardly dared to look at Rukia…

Looking at her brought back the too-recent pain of losing Hisana…the shiver of being on the receiving end of the clan's disapproval…the end of his disobedience, with the arrival and adoption of Rukia. No, he dared not approach too closely, and would see her placed in a squad and sent to train. Having her so close was too much. He chose, instead to bear his solitude quietly.

"Byakuya," said a soft voice, startling him out of his reverie.

He turned and locked eyes with the man his grandfather had warned him about.

"Aizen Sousuke," he said calmly, "Have you become lost?"

_Byakuya looked into the other's smiling expression and he felt something flash in his mind._

_"He hardly lets you out of his sight, right?"_

Byakuya flinched.

"No," said Aizen, still smiling at him, "I haven't become lost. I saw you leave with Ginrei and then leave the gardens alone. I thought to have your company for a while."

_"You admitted to me that you long for freedom, Byakuya," Aizen said softly, "I was thinking that while we are here, we might take a bit of that freedom…and enjoy it together."_

Byakuya inhaled sharply and Aizen looked up at him questioningly.

"Byakuya, are you all right?" he asked, sounding concerned.

He furrowed his brow, trying to figure out where it was that he had heard Aizen speak to him that way. He didn't remember…he couldn't remember when it had ever happened. It had the feel of a dream…or perhaps a nightmare.

"Byakuya…if this is about that time in the living world…that night we were together, I did say that I was sorry for letting it happen."

The noble's face paled as the memory swelled and sharpened in his mind. He could feel Aizen's face close to his…his hands on bared skin…tongue thrusting deeply inside his mouth…fingers touching him where no one else had ever dared.

And he hadn't remembered…

Something had stolen his memory…

Something…or someone…

"You…" he whispered, his face going even more pale.

"Yes…" Aizen admitted.

Byakuya realized suddenly that Aizen had stepped forward and he tried to step back, only to encounter the tree behind him. The fifth division taichou's hand caught his face and came closer.

"You're blushing," he said, leaning forward, "You are a beautiful young man, Byakuya."

His mouth closed over the stunned noble's and Byakuya felt his legs weaken beneath him. He knew he should move…should push him away. He should do something besides stand frozen. He had never frozen on the battlefield, no matter how frightening the enemy. So why, he wondered, could he not make his limbs move? Why did his heart beat so hard that he thought it would explode? Why did it feel so good for this man's mouth to so deeply explore his? Why were his own arms betraying him and wrapping around the other? Why was he kissing him back?

Shock flooded his body and he flash stepped free. He reappeared at the edge of the cliff, beside the waterfall. Aizen watched him curiously and waited for him to say something. Byakuya remembered that he had been warned about this man. Aizen Sousuke was dangerous and must be avoided. And given what he remembered…how the man had taken him to the hotel in the living world to deprive him of his innocence, he found his anger boiling up inside.

_I thought it was something meaningful…that when he said that I should put my heart in a safe place, that he was offering one. He wasn't supposed to be the one to do the very damage that he warned me to expect from others. I failed to consider that he might be using me!_

_I must admit that I did, in fact, enjoy the intimate beauty of being held tightly and kissed so deeply. And though it made me blush then…and it still makes me blush to remember, I did enjoy the taste of that man's flesh. I liked the feel of taking him in my mouth…as he said, a sign of our trust. I thought that his face was beautifully lit with emotion at being pleasured by my mouth…and I hardly minded the sudden, hot flow of thick fluid I didn't known how to swallow properly. In fact, everything up to my taking was perfect._

_But then...that strange look on his face. I'm not sure what caused it, but now, remembering that look, oh...oh gods, I remember more!_

He remembered the pain that had shot through his heart when the man turned him and took him from behind.

_When one is beloved, his lover would only take him, looking deeply into his eyes._

The pain had been so sudden and staggering that he couldn't stop the cry that escaped him. Aizen hadn't even hesitated. Being so into taking him, the bastard had just kept on…as if not hearing…as if not caring.

And now that he remembered, the pain was returning…

"Leave me alone," he gasped, trying to flash step past.

A hand caught his arm and a moment later, the two were tumbling to the ground together. It didn't hurt to fall, but he was left breathless for a moment, and then Aizen's mouth found his and his head spun. He pushed against the other's chest forcefully, but couldn't budge him. Aizen seemed unnaturally strong. A hand found his wrists and locked them in a strong, binding kido above his head. Then Aizen's hands roamed everywhere, loosening his clothes and slipping beneath them, touching him…finding his swelling arousal and noting its silent betrayal, then rewarding it for its disobedience with slow, languid strokes. He arched his body and tried to twist free, but moving so only brought him into more intimate contact with the body above his. He shook with rage as the hand around him stroked him harder and faster and he lost the breath and the will to resist.

It was then that he remembered the Seirei-Jomae…the spirit lock that his grandfather had been so angry to find between them. And he remembered the warning. If he opened his heart to Aizen and Aizen did the same, they would conceive his heir.

He was instantly shocked back into resistance. He threw his weight against the kido holding his hands and shattered it. His face darkened with fury, he tore himself free and rolled to his feet. He stood with his chest heaving, his heart racing wildly and his hardened member still aching for completion. Aizen climbed to his feet and stood opposite the noble, observing him carefully.

"How dare you touch me…you…you…"

He stopped, his breath catching.

"You…peasant! Get out of here!"

He didn't wait to see if Aizen obeyed the order, but turned back and flash stepped all of the way back to the manor. He stopped at the gate, realizing suddenly that his clothing was in disarray and he was obviously very aroused. He stood in the cold darkness, setting himself back in order and realizing suddenly that his ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu was gone. He swallowed hard, looking back the way he had come, but didn't dare go back for it. He nearly jumped out of his skin when a flash step sounded beside him and the soft material dropped suddenly around his shoulders.

"You forgot something," Aizen said softly in his ear.

Byakuya grabbed the scarf and wound it into place, then took a breath and turned back to Aizen.

"You were invited to my home as a guest, but you have acted dishonorably. I want you to leave, Aizen Sousuke. Leave and don't come back!"

The older shinigami's eyes darkened.

"So…you truly do hate me for what happened. Or maybe it isn't even that. Maybe it's as you said…I'm a peasant. I shouldn't dare to touch such a pristine, angelic body like yours…I might dirty it."

"Just…go, Aizen Sousuke," Byakuya said, hating the desperation in his tone.

He breathed a sigh of relief as the elder shinigami merely nodded and turned away. He stopped just inside the gate and looked back at Byakuya with malevolence that sent chills through him.

"You seem to think like the rest of them now. Back then, I thought you were different. That's why I wanted you. But it was a deception. You are just like the rest of them. And someday, you will pay for that…"

He turned and disappeared, leaving Byakuya shaken and alone. He gathered himself and returned to the party, where he joined the staff and wished his guests a good night. And after the last was gone, he returned to his room…the room that had been Ginrei's before his departure.

He waited in the dressing area as his servant undressed him, then wrapped a towel around his waist and stepped into the bathroom.

"You are dismissed," he said to his attendant, then watched as the youth bowed and left, and locked the door behind him.

He stood under the hot rush of water, his mind spinning helplessly and his body still rebelling against him. He couldn't rid himself of the feel of Aizen's mouth on his…the feel of those hands slipping beneath his clothes and stroking him so skillfully. And now that he remembered their lovemaking, he couldn't stop feeling the mouth that had wrapped around his length…that had moved slowly up and down, or the fingers that gently prepared him…or the feeling of being filled.

He wanted badly to hate the man. And he did feel anger, because he had done those things falsely…with no intent that it should mean anything. But it did mean something. He knew it must. That Aizen had tried again to make love with him out by the waterfall, beneath the stars and that beautiful moon. It had to mean something. That it might not, hurt him with unexpected ferocity. But in the absence of the one who had caused the pain, he couldn't connect with the anger. He could only feel the hurt.

The hurt burst out of him in a choked sob. It ran down his face in streams as he held himself silent and let the tears fall. He hadn't known another person could cause him this kind of pain. It seemed that it hurt worse even than the pain he had felt so recently when Hisana died. But he and Hisana had shared mutual love. And though her illness had prevented them from having children, they had made each other happy. Now, he was without that happiness and saddled with a longing for a man who he sensed could very well destroy him. He knew in his mind that he could not afford to let himself fall for Aizen Sousuke, but his body and his heart ached fiercely with rebellion. His heart raced furiously beneath his breast and heat seethed beneath his skin as he stood wanting desperately to be touched…to be held and kissed…by the very man he dared not love.

"Sousuke," he said in a trembling whisper.

His member throbbed with just the name…

His hand slid down his body, as though of its own accord and wrapped around his length, stroking up and down as Aizen's hand had only a short time before. He could almost feel that mouth on his, that hot, demanding tongue, thrusting into his mouth and exploring every inch inside. He gasped at how good it felt to remember…to imagine…to touch himself that way. He could almost imagine that the man was in the shower with him, pleasuring him in that gentle, but powerful way he had before.

He caught his breath as hot seed pulsed out of him and released it in a sound between pleasure and pain. He both loved and hated the way it felt…both longed for and reviled the one whose face and voice haunted him as pleasure took him. Overwhelmed, he slid slowly down the wall and sat, curled, letting the water rain down to hide the tears and soft cries…and promising himself that it was the last time he would ever allow himself to fall in love.


	4. What Cannot Be Said

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As he prepares to reveal himself as a traitor, Aizen makes an unexpected discovery about the connection between Byakuya and him.

_XXXXXXXXXX_

_This is what you longed for…to see my body bowed in torment, my limbs shaking with fear and my lips delirious with anguish. You stayed close so you wouldn't miss seeing me fall apart. Yet, you looked surprised as I broke into pieces, as the walls around me crumbled and you suddenly realized that you never really knew me at all. Your hands moved to put the bits back together, but they only exploded into cold grains of sand…_

XXXXXXXXXX

"You're late, Gin," Aizen said quietly as the silver-haired taichou joined him in the Central 46 chambers.

They walked past the carnage of the massacred councilors and into an office beyond.

"You know," said Gin, "You really ought to clean up that mess you made. They're starting to decay."

Aizen's expression didn't change.

"They were already rotten inside…fouled with arrogance and superiority. And besides," he said, looking back into the blood spattered room, "I like looking as I go by. Some of them died before the belligerence left their faces, before they abandoned their aristocratic expressions and actually showed fear."

Gin paused for a moment, studying Aizen's calm countenance, then glancing back behind him again.

"There is a great deal of venom in what you do, Sousuke. You actually hate these men that you didn't even know. You hated them enough to kill them, not knowing."

Aizen's calm smile wavered.

"I don't hate them so much as what they supported…touting civility and a dependence on laws and morals, but applying them with anything but fairness. There was nothing 'just' in the actions of these justices…holding themselves above and apart…pretending to be protectors of peace, but really they were agents of oppression. And the ones who dared to question were punished for impudence…for being liberal of mind."

He gazed into the dead eyes of the councilors and sighed softly.

"These are the lucky ones, Gin. They have their reprieve. They can't be tormented and made to pay for what they've done."

"You save that fate for the nobles, ne?" Gin went on, "Speaking of which…Kuchiki taichou was rather depressed today. I was nearly able to coax him into fighting Zaraki Kenpachi."

"Really," said Aizen, his eyes meeting Gin's questioningly.

Gin nodded.

"Zaraki and I merely expressed concern to our colleague that he might be depressed over the death sentence handed down for his sister."

"And what did he say?"

"He said peasants wouldn't understand the feelings of nobles. He was really quite rude, which made Zaraki taichou belligerent, which nearly made them come to blows."

"Hmm…not much can elicit that much emotion from Byakuya. That is odd."

"Yes. It was lucky I managed to drag Zaraki taichou away or someone might have died."

"Just as long as it isn't Byakuya. I want him to live. I want him to witness the uprising of the ones they stepped on, the massacre of the noble families and the throwing down of their wretched, useless king. I intend to make them understand that power is not contained in a noble name, but in a man's destiny. And wherever he comes from, the one who is strong enough will shake the heavens and make that place his own…name or no name."

Gin shook his head softly.

"They really pissed you off by not respecting you for your powers, ne?"

"What do you mean, Gin?" Aizen said with calm sarcasm, "I was made a taichou, was I not?"

"Hmm…only because you hollowfied a few taichous, who then had to be replaced. Otherwise, who knows how long we would have languished as their fukutaichous…"

"Enough…I want you to stay here and manage things for a while. I have something to do."

"Oh, very well," sighed Gin, "I guess you do need to get out on occasion, especially given the dramatic exit you're about to make."

Aizen didn't answer, but disappeared in a flash step, leaving a bemused Gin looking after him. He waited until he was outside, then drew his zanpakutou and made himself invisible to others. He flash stepped through the darkened streets until he reached the sixth division, then slipped in through the doors as Abarai Renji returned from an errand.

"Oi, Taichou, you're still here?" he said, not quite meeting the noble's eyes.

"There was still work to do."

"Would you…like me to make some tea for you, Taichou?" Renji asked, looking a bit worried.

"Yes, Renji…then you may go home," Byakuya answered quietly.

Aizen watched Byakuya pore over the paperwork as Renji made the tea. The fukutaichou returned some time later and set the tea at Byakuya's elbow.

"Here you go, Taichou."

"Arigato, Renji."

Renji gave him a troubled smile, then prepared to leave. He stopped at the door and looked back at Byakuya.

"Taichou…"

Byakuya looked up at him.

"Taichou, I'm sorry about…about Rukia's sentence."

Byakuya stared at him in silence.

"Look, I know you won't say anything, but I feel that you must be sad about it too. You don't have to say anything, but…"

He left the words hanging.

"Good night, Renji," Byakuya said, his voice a shade softer.

"Good night, Taichou."

Byakuya's eyes remained fixed on the door, even after it closed behind his departing fukutaichou. He stared ahead vacantly, unaware of the eyes that watched him, then finally looked back at the papers on his desk. He sighed softly and rested his face against an open palm, trying to focus on his work, but distracted. His eyes rose to glance at his tea, then he sighed and climbed to his feet. He crossed the room and stood by Renji's desk, looking down at it and contemplating for several long minutes. Finally, he loosed another sigh and slipped a hand into the back of one of the drawers and pulled out a glass bottle. He sipped at the tea to make room in the glass, then added the liquid and drank more deeply.

Aizen watched curiously, unable to remember ever seeing Byakuya consume liquor of any kind and curious as to how he might be affected. After he refilled the teacup several times, Aizen realized that Byakuya had no idea how to moderate…or that the effects took time to peak. Worried he might actually hurt himself, the fifth division taichou waited until he set the bottle down, then reached around Byakuya and knocked it over. It fell into the wastebasket and emptied itself into the bottom. It seemed to go unnoticed by Byakuya, who had dropped into Renji's chair and was resting his head on his arms and groaning as the dizziness set in.

He said peasants wouldn't understand the feelings of nobles.

"Okay, Byakuya," said Aizen in the noble's ear, "Why don't you explain it to me now? Why are you so tormented? She's only your sister by adoption…only a peasant you picked up and brought home because she looked like your late wife…a redeeming fact, but not wholly convincing. And yet…Hisana was a peasant. Do you have a soft spot for strays or could it actually be that there is a noble who doesn't think he's too good to find love outside of a noble house?"

Byakuya gave another pained groan and surged to his feet, upsetting Renji's chair. He took a staggering step, then gathered himself and left the division office without turning off the lights or locking the door. Aizen followed him through the darkened streets and back to Kuchiki Manor. They passed through the entry, Byakuya managing to give a normal greeting to the housekeeper, before turning towards his bedroom and informing the scrambling attendant that he wished to be alone. He closed the door behind him and leaned back against it for a moment. Then, his face paled and he flash stepped to the bathroom, falling to his knees and emptying the contents of his stomach into the toilet. He fell back against the wall, his face an ungodly white. He put his face in his hands, moaning and slowly sank the rest of the way to the floor.

Shaking his head, Aizen knelt next to the unconscious noble and patted his face. The dark, senseless eyes opened and looked up through him in confusion, then closed again.

_Right…you can't see me…_

He lifted Byakuya's upper body and slowly removed the kenseiken, then unwound the ginpaku kazahana no uzuginu from around his shoulders. He released the tie at the noble's waist and undressed him the rest of the way, then sat, holding him and gazing down at the lovely, white flesh he had uncovered.

_Kami, what I'd love to do to that sweet body! What I did before was just the beginning. I can imagine so much more…_

He shook his head and stood. He disrobed slowly, his eyes meandering over the beautiful body that lay senseless at his feet. Fully naked, he lifted Byakuya, coaxing him into semi-awareness enough to set him back on his feet, then turning him towards the shower. He held Byakuya, the noble's back rested against his chest, and let the water bring life back into him. Byakuya shifted slightly and sighed, but still seemed not to connect with the fact that he was being held by someone who he couldn't see. He made no moves, nor sound as Aizen slowly washed the glowing, white skin, then the silken black hair. He stood for a long time after, with Byakuya rested against him, letting his hands explore the noble's body.

Then, the simple exploration started to feel like it wasn't enough…

He let his hand slide down the long, slender torso and wrap around, his fingers moving down and playing over the hardening erection that rose out of a nest of black curls. Byakuya moaned and sagged against him. Aizen rested his face against the noble's and began moving his hand up and down the long shaft, turning his head slightly to brush his lips against Byakuya's face.

Byakuya's body flinched and tensed and he pulled away, staggering, then shaking his head and looking around in confusion. He paused, for a moment, registering where he was, then turned off the shower and stepped out into the bathroom, sighing as he realized he had forgotten to bring in a yukata. He reached for a towel and slowly dried away the moisture, then stepped out of the bathroom and into the dressing area. He slipped into a dark red yukata and opened the doors to the garden.

Aizen dried off and slipped back into his clothes, then followed Byakuya out the garden doors, then down the walkway to a candlelit room that bore a small shrine. The noble knelt before a picture of Hisana and stared at it silently, the fire reflecting in the dark centers of his eyes. Aizen watched quietly as the dark eyes blinked slowly once, twice, then closed.

"I don't know what to do," he whispered, "I know that I made you a promise…to find her, and to take her as my sister. I did that, but I haven't been able to do right by her since. I sent her to train in Ukitake taichou's squad. I knew he would treat her with respect…even affection…and that was better than I was able to offer her. It's not that I don't care for her. I care too much. I can't look at her without thinking of you. But even as I tried to do the right thing by placing her in that squad, I set her on the path to the trouble she is in now…and today, I stood by and let her be convicted…sentenced to die. Hisana, I know now why you were taken from me. I never deserved someone like you. I have always had to put nobility and duty before everything…and now, because of that, I'll watch this last part of you die before my eyes…and I'll never forgive myself for letting it happen. But I can't stop it. I cannot go against the law…not even for her. And it's not just because of the clan rules."

He paused and took a breath.

"A long time ago…I broke the rules and I gave myself to someone who I thought cared for me. In doing so, I opened my heart…and for some amount of time, he opened his. It was enough to trigger the Seirei-Joumae. Our spirits were locked together and my body was made ready to conceive the heir. But his heart closed again…and we were discovered. Ginrei nearly took my life, rather than to accept what we had done. I was injured that day…and for a long time I didn't remember. It wasn't until after you were gone that the memory returned and I realized that my disobedience was why you and I were childless. My breaking of the rules cost me the comfort of having a child to hold after you were gone. And now, I will lose this last comfort, this last bit of you…a fate I deserve for failing you so badly. I thought to make your life better by bringing you here and giving you my heart, but this is punishment, because my heart was already given to that other…and fate is working to take away the happiness I don't deserve. I am sorry. Hisana…I didn't know. I didn't know that when he made love with me…that I was made his…and now our fates are tied together. I won't go to this one who despises me…so there will be no heir…no one to carry on my name or to take my place. My father's line will end with me. And as I failed you…I will fail them."

He trailed off and his body shivered and sagged again. He climbed to his feet and turned back towards his room, holding a hand to his head and groaning. He collapsed onto his bed, leaving the garden doors open so that the moonlight streamed into the room. Aizen followed him to his bed, watching him flinch and groan uncomfortably, then sat down beside the senseless shinigami, pondering what he had learned.

_A Seirei-Joumae…a spirit link? We opened a spirit link? How is that possible? I knew, of course, of the existence of such a thing, but I've never known it to actually happen. And now he can only bear a child with me…_

He gazed down at Byakuya curiously.

_He said that he was made mine…_

It couldn't work out and he knew it. The damage was already done and everything laid in place for their departure. It was too late to stop…or to consider taking the noble with them. No, things must be left to proceed as they had been planned. But, he thought to himself, I can certainly make sure he lives…so that after the king has fallen, when I have become the ruler of the three worlds, I can make him my consort. And I can give him back what I took when I made love with him that night. And actually, it's better this way. He won't have to be made a traitor. Instead, he'll be rightfully mine when my opposition falls, and he will never be disgraced for being mine.

He smiled and gently tucked the semi-conscious noble into bed, then slid underneath the covers next to him. He kissed Byakuya warmly on the mouth and opened his yukata.

"I misunderstood you, Byakuya. I misunderstood a lot of things, and I think you did too. You belong to me…and I to you…and someday we'll be together. For now, I offer this as a token of my love," he whispered.

He laid his body on top of Byakuya's, parting the noble's thighs and carefully preparing him. Byakuya gazed up at him with deeply hazed eyes, only making a soft incoherent sound of pain as he was entered. He shook softly and his hands tightened on Aizen's arms as the fifth division taichou began to thrust into him. The dark eyes tried to focus, tried to see, but were still misled by the power of his zanpakutou.

"What's happening?" he whispered dazedly.

Aizen kissed away the words and sank deeper into his body, holding him tighter and moved by the distant, lost look in his expression.

"Shh, my love," Aizen whispered, nuzzling the slender, graceful throat, "Close your eyes. You are only dreaming."

But, dream or no dream, Byakuya was moving with him, arching up into his body, closing his eyes and letting the pale hands follow the curves of shoulder and back. He moaned heatedly as Aizen's hand wrapped around his length, moving up and down in time with his thrusts and leaving them both sweating and breathless.

"This is a dream?" Byakuya whispered, blinking slowly and trying again to focus.

"The sweetest of dreams," Aizen answered, kissing the noble's lips and thrusting harder into him.

He waited until they had begun to climax together, then, locked in mutual release, he let the power of his zanpakutou fade. And in that moment of complete bliss, their eyes locked.

"Now I know this has to be a dream…" Byakuya panted, the twinges of pleasure still rocketing through his body, "Aizen Sousuke would never take me while looking into my eyes."

Aizen smiled and placed a hand on his face, sending him off to sleep with a gentle throb of reiatsu.

"Yes, Byakuya," he whispered, kissing the pale, sleep, softened lips, "for now, it is a dream…but we will make it a realty. We will."


End file.
